After the Club
by Chameleon777
Summary: What happens to the Baby-Sitters Club after 'Graduation Day' Souls are unloaded as lives change and grow. A journal is the best place to unload thoughts and so it is with the former club, their family, and all those in their respective worlds.
1. Kristy: First Day of School

_This is my first day of high school. My first day of trying to find out who I am now._

 _Last night, Watson took me into his office and gave me this journal as a gift for starting high school because he knew it would be a memorable experience and he wanted me to have something I could record those memories in._

 _Watson also asked if he could formally adopt me someday, but didn't push and just asked me to let him know if I was ever ready to do that. I said I would consider it, but I don't want to think about anything else but starting high school. I wonder, though, has he asked Sam and David Michael the same thing?_

 _Those are thoughts for LATER…much later; after I get through this first day._

 _My name is Kristy Thomas, I am 14 years old, and I am going to be in ninth grade at Stoneybrook High School. Charlie left for college at Boiceville State a few days ago and the house already seems a little bit empty. Sam and I will now take the bus to high school every day._

 _Of course, Sam is all ready for the day and probably waiting for me. He's eager to get to school and meet up with his friends and see Stacey. Stacey McGill has been spending the summer helping her mom get the new store off the ground and also seeing Sam. I'm not sure if I like the thought of Sam and Stacey together._

 _Don't get me wrong; I like Stacey and she is a very good friend, but she is very wild for her age. Sam is going to be 16 soon, but he's very down to earth and more conservative for a guy his age. I'd like to think that Stacey will bring out the best in him, but I also know she likes to push boundaries._

"KRISTY!"

Sam's voice fills the house, followed by Watson's gentle admonition not to yell inside. I put the journal in my backpack, zip it up, and then hurry downstairs. Sam is standing in the foyer all ready to go while David Michael is sitting on a bench with his backpack. Mom comes into the foyer smiling at us.

"Kristy, Sam, David Michael, please behave yourselves today and have fun," Mom says in an anxious voice as she gives us all hugs. "New grades can be scary, but I want you to enjoy it too…"

David Michael gets up, "Moooom, if we don't hurry, we're going to miss the bus!" he whines.

Mom nods and I follow Charlie and David Michael out to the bus stop. I am excited for what high school may bring, but I am also a little sad that the Baby-Sitters Club seems to be dying. The club is my baby and it feels like it's been around forever. I am not ready to let it go, but everyone else seems to be.

I won't even see all of my friends in school all of the time because we aren't in a lot of classes together and Claudia is even taking a different style of program. Claudia did pass science in summer school, but her parents and the teachers at the high school decided that she would be better off taking modified courses and also focus on a pre-professional art program. She wasn't happy about it, but the program will keep her on track to help her graduate high school with the rest of us and that's what matters. She will also be able to go to dances and stuff, so she's coping.

The bus shows up and I find myself still thinking about my friends as we head off to the first day of a new chapter in our lives. All of the kids we used to baby-sit for are also growing up and moving on, so maybe there will be a new generation of the Baby-Sitters Club within the next year…

Shannon, Logan, Abby, and Jessi have all moved on from the club and I really haven't heard from any of them all summer except for Abby. Mallory was here over the summer and we did hang out when I helped her babysit her brothers and sisters because Jessi was off on her world tour with her dance school. Mallory is back at Riverbend now, but she has promised to write…

I am not ready for things to change. We will still be friends because we are both athletes, but not having the club anymore was something to really bind us together and I'm not sure how I will cope.

Mary Anne phoned last night and she will meet me at school so that I don't have to face this new chapter alone. She is my best friend in the whole wide world and nothing will ever change that.

I had better get my anxiety out of my system by the end of the day because I need to help my family get ready for Karen and Andrew's visit on the weekend. I can't believe David Michael and Karen are already in third grade and Emily Michelle is in preschool. All of these changes are making everyone feel older.

As the bus gets closer to Stoneybrook High, I find myself too anxious to continue writing and I instead focus on looking out the window.

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	2. Mary Anne: First Day of School

"Mew."

I opened my eyes and Tigger was lying on my chest as if to tell me it was time to get up, so I got up and held him close. Tigger purred happily; he was obviously content to be held all day.

"I have to get ready for school," I told Tigger in a kind voice, gently setting him on my bed.

With a sigh, I got up and I looked at myself in the mirror before sitting back on my bed to write a few quick lines in my journal. I have to remember to eventually thank Sharon for buying it for me.

 _I am Mary Anne Spier, I will be 14 in a couple of weeks, and I am going into ninth grade at Stoneybrook High School. Dad and Sharon couldn't be prouder and Sharon even bought me a good luck present; this little journal in which I now write. I'm so nervous about high school because it's only one of many changes that my family and I have gone through in such a short time. It's the thought of meeting new people that makes me a little nervous. Will I make friends or even find a new boyfriend?_

At the thought of a new boyfriend, I stop writing and set the journal aside. I feel freer ever since I broke up with Logan, but I'm not really sure I'm ready for a new boyfriend yet. Maybe I should take Dawn's advice and simply focus on getting used to high school and making friends as I go along.

Dawn has already been in high school for a whole year because eighth graders were moved to Vista's high school building and she is looking forward to ninth grade. She says that her and her other friends are all rallying around Sunny this year because it is Sunny's first time starting a new year of school without her mother around. Sunny and her dad are in family counseling, but they also spend a lot of time at the bookstore. I understand what Sunny is dealing with and I hope she is doing very well.

The thought of Dawn and her friends make me think of my friends. I know that Kristy is still hurting over the end of the Baby-Sitters Club and I hope I can be a supportive friend to her even if we aren't in a lot of similar classes together. I also need to make sure to support Claudia as she deals with having to take modified classes; special education isn't a bad thing, but she might think she's disappointed her parents.

Abby and Jessi are also people I need to remember to keep in touch with simply because I am close to them and Mallory's not around to hang out with Jessi. Now that the barn has been renovated and we are living in it, perhaps I can invite everyone over for a party like we used to have back when the club…

"Mary Anne, you're going to be late!" my father's voice suddenly calls up the stairs.

Sighing, I load my backpack with my journal and zip it; I loaded the rest of my school supplies last night.

Blowing another kiss to Tigger, I hurry downstairs and find Dad and Sharon sitting at the breakfast table, "Morning," I say in a kind voice, kissing both their cheeks. "Do I have time to grab breakfast?"

"Yes," Dad replies, a smile on his face. "Are you nervous about your first day of high school?"

I shrug and get some cereal before joining Dad and Sharon at the table. Silence fills the house as I quickly eat and then wash my breakfast dishes because Dad likes me to do that. I wave goodbye and hurry out the door so I can catch the bus on time. The bus comes not long after I reach the stop.

The ride is quiet, as I really don't know any of the kids on the bus, and the bus gets to Stoneybrook High rather quickly. I get off and I immediately see Kristy and Abby waiting for me in the front courtyard.

I immediately hug them both because I am so relieved to see familiar faces right off the bat even if we don't end up being in all of the same classes. Soon enough, Claudia joins us because Janine drove her to school that day to help her feel less nervous about her special courses. Claudia looks tired.

"Hi, you guys," Claudia spoke in a tired voice. "I was up late last night looking at my new courses…"

I nod, trying to be supportive even though I have no idea what special education is like in high school, "I hope we'll have at least one course together," Kristy says eagerly. "Are you still taking art, Claud?"

Claudia smiles, "I'm going to be undergoing a review to see if my art is good enough to take college or university courses," she explains eagerly. "My time studying under Mackenzie Clarke in New York and with Rachel on Monhegan really helped. Rachel was the one who recommended me for the review."

"That's great, Claudia," I reply in a kind voice. "How do your parents feel about it?"

Claudia shrugs, "As long as I excel in my classes, they'll support my art career," she replies softly.

Just then, Stacey arrives off another bus and she, Kristy, Abby, Claudia, and I share a hug as the warning bell rings. We quickly pull apart and join the mass sea of kids who are going into the high school.

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	3. Claudia: First Day of School

" _Claudia Kishi, please report to the office…Claudia Kishi, please report to the office."_

Sighing anxiously, I close my locker and hurry through the hallways to the office. I knew this was coming, as I was told after summer school ended that the I.E.P. Program was the best chance for me to succeed in high school. The classes would be the same, just modified to make them easier for me. My parents were supportive of this idea and allowed it to go forward, but I can't help but feel like I've disappointed them with how much I struggle.

During the car ride to school this morning, Janine reassured me that our parents were not mad and that they were happy I would have a fighting chance like I didn't have in middle school. She explained to me that Stoneybrook High has better classes for people with learning problems and that I should be happy…how can I be happy when I'm in a special class?

The office was a lot bigger and quieter than the one at the middle school, but it also didn't take me long to see that my books were there, as was my schedule. I picked up one of the books and thumbed through it. It was easy for me to understand, but it was also probably very different than the books that my friends were studying from. I felt a little ashamed…

A pair of hands suddenly covered my eyes, "Guess who?" a warm voice suddenly asked.

My heart fluttered at the voice, "Hi, Alan," I replied in a kind voice. "How are you?"

The hands lifted and I turned to see Alan Gray, my current boyfriend and fellow ninth-grader, standing behind me with an impish smile on his face. I quickly noticed, though, that Alan was carrying books similar to mine, "I thought I'd walk you to class," Alan spoke quietly.

"You…you're in the IEP class?" I asked in a confused voice, not sure what else to say.

Alan nodded, "Um, the amount of time I spent in Kingbridge's office prompted my parents to get me tested medically," he spoke nervously. "Apparently, I have Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder and the high school thought it would be better for me to do the I.E.P. courses. I goofed off in class because I couldn't focus and this might help me…"

Relief flooded through me as I realized that I wouldn't be so alone in needing to take special needs courses in high school. My friends wouldn't be there, but at least Alan would be.

"A walk to class would be great," I replied in a kind voice. "I can't believe it's the first day…"

Alan brightened and he offered his arm immediately. I took it without hesitation, knowing that Alan had been nervous about telling me because he was scared I'd reject him for his confession. The walk to the IEP room was done in a comfortable silence.

When we finally got to the IEP room, which was just across from the art studios, we put brave faces on and went inside. Bright colors covered the walls, the floor, and every cupboard, filing cabinet, and storage locker in the room. The desks were arranged in a large semi-circle in front of the blackboard and a kind looking woman with salt and pepper hair sat at a desk sporting a pink cardigan, a white t-shirt, and fingerless gloves. She smiled at us.

"Morning!" the woman said in an enthusiastic voice. "My name is Ms. Harper."

I sighed, "Claudia Kishi," I replied in a nervous voice. "Where's everyone else?"

"Not here yet or they're in a blended class," Ms. Harper replied in a kind voice, smiling reassuringly at me. "You can sit anywhere you like. Do you have your schedules?"

I nod and suddenly realize that Alan is being awfully and unusually quiet. I turn and see Alan silently looking at a bulletin board filled with different sheets, "Alan?" I ask softly.

"I….I don't know how I'm going to tell my friends about needing to be in a special-ed class and about my disability," Alan spoke in a nervous voice. "They always assumed I was a goof-off and I fit in just fine. If I tell them about all this, though, they'll…"

I frowned, "Alan, if your friends can't accept you for who you are, then they're not really your friends," I reply in a firm voice, shaken by this nervous side of Alan. "It's not a big…"

Suddenly, more students began coming into the classroom and I quietly go to an empty desk and sit so I won't be marked late. A moment later, Alan joins me at the same group of desks and we are quickly joined by a boy and a girl that I don't recognize or know anything about.

The bell rings shortly after we take our seats, so I don't get another chance to say more to Alan. I worry that what I said wasn't enough and I also worry about how Alan is feeling about being here; from what he said, he obviously didn't tell any of his friends about being here.

"Good morning, everyone," Ms. Harper speaks as she stands up and walks around the desk. "My name is Ms. Harper and I'm in charge of the Individualized Educational Program at Stoneybrook High School. First of all, this is not simply known as special education. I find that term derogatory and this is a place where I want students to feel safe. That's why I consider this to be a modified learning experience and it's really nothing to be ashamed of."

Quiet murmurs filled the classroom as Ms. Harper picked up a book off her desk and opened it, "I thought we'd start class today by talking about my expectations and about the life skills you can pick up in this program if you apply yourselves," she spoke in a kind voice.

As Ms. Harper spoke, I felt myself becoming very nervous. I had tried my best all throughout middle school and I ended up barely passing everything. I had to do summer school for science and even spent a bit of time back in seventh grade. What if I couldn't do this?

"...We'll be going through all of the core courses required by Stoneybrook High, but we're also going to be doing Business Services, Horticulture, Work Experience, and other things that will help all of you be able to apply what you learn in the classroom to real life…"

 _Pay attention, Claudia._ A little voice in my head suddenly said. _At least give it a chance._

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